KCRW’s December Volunteer of the Month

Meet Marissa! She started as a Summer Marketing Intern in 2017 and quickly stood out for her great personality and reliability. Marissa was at Sound in Focus, the Santa Monica Pier, and our smaller events as well. If we were short a volunteer, Marissa was ready to step in and help. She then started helping the Development department twice a week and will soon focus her volunteer time with in-studio production assistance and the Events team.

Get to know why Marissa is so great!

Where did you grow up and do you have any siblings? Pets?

I was born and raised in sunny San Diego, CA. The town is known for California burritos, endless beaches, and Slightly Stoopid. I lived there for 20 years a.k.a. my whole life, until I decided to finally move out to LA just this past January to live my dreams! So original, I know. I have one older brother who does has a dog so if science and stuff is correct then…yes, I have a pet.

What 5 things would you wish you had if you were stranded on a deserted island?

MP3 player because those are still a thing, right?

2. Batteries for my MP3 player

3. Sunscreen

4. A knife

5. Cookies. I LOVE cookies.

What is your current occupation / what do you do outside of KCRW?

I just finished going to school full-time at Santa Monica College, graduating with an Associates Degree in Entertainment Promotion and Marketing Production. I love going to concerts or any sort of live music shows with friends, and also watching sunsets.

What is your fantasy occupation?

My fantasy occupation is to work in music concert operations/production. Ever since a Blink-182 concert I went to a couple years ago, I knew right then and there what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. While rocking out to every song of theirs for three-hours straight, I caught myself constantly looking backstage at everyone that was running back and forth generating the entire show. Something about that energy was so consuming to me and I’m so lucky that is what carved my “career” path.

When did you first discover KCRW?

I first discovered KCRW when I turned on the radio which is a very rare occasion since I have an AUX cable, but I wanted to see what stations were in LA seeing that I just moved here. It was MBE and the style of music drew me in right away. I then found out KCRW is licensed with Santa Monica College where I saw they were offering a Summer Marketing Internship and to this day has been the opportunity of a lifetime.

How did you find your way to our station for volunteering?

I found my way to the station by coming across their application to the Summer Marketing Internship on their website which I started back in May. From street team to check-in, I got the chance to work at various events such as Sound in Focus, First Fridays, and the Santa Monica Pier concerts.

What’s your current volunteer position and how long have you been at it?

My current volunteer position has been working in the Development department for about four months now, where I get to see the ins and outs of KCRW, driven by the spirit of our members. I just had my first PA training with the one and only Anne Litt and I also try to work at as many events I can.

How has being a Santa Monica College student helped being involved with KCRW?

IIf I never spontaneously dropped everything to move to LA to further my career in a field I dreamed about, then Santa Monica College and KCRW would have not happened. I knew moving out on my own to a big city I was not familiar with at all was going to be hard unless I involved myself in any opportunity that came my way. The outlets I saw at SMC that expressed music and events were ones I took right away at the beginning of the year and KCRW has been the best one of them all.

Favorite volunteer moment?

WILD BELLE! at the Pier. They’re amazing.

If you could get on the mic and say one sentence on the air, what would it be?

“I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if ya never take it seriously, ya never get hurt, ya never get hurt, ya always have fun, and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.”